Flexible coupling



w. Mmm' ET AL FLEXIBLE CIWLING i923 Sheets-Shoot 1 Jan. 26

Filed Aug. 10 1926.

w. c. MccoY E'r Al.

FLEXIBLE coupures Filed Jan. '26.A 1923 2 Shasta-Sheet 2 IIWILLIAM c. moor AND Emana Patented Aug. 10, 1926*.

1,595,412 UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. XIMMICH,

F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOBS TO THE eoonynaa TIRE a RUBBER conrm, or anon, onro, .a conronarIoN or omo. rLnxmLn .courrir-m. f l

Appnouon ma January as, im. serial xo. 815,173.-

i. I' Our invention relates flexiblev coulings and particularly to 'composite fabric discs for use with fiexible driving connections.

One object -ofour invention is to produce an inexpensive and improved disc and a novel and improved met od of manufacturing such a dlsc.

- termed the holes for connectingA the vdisc toA the driving and driven spider members of Another object of our invention is to construct a disc of the ordinary. circular orhexagonal form from a single strip of material and sheet as to avoid all waste whatsoever in t e formation of the strips from which the disc is built up. f

An additional'object of our invention is to provide a disc in which certain portions' of the' edges of the fabric strip adjacent the driving holes are folded at the dperiphery of the disc to `provide increase drivin strength and better distribution of the loa stresses throu hout the material of the disc.

- Another oject of our. invention is to produce a flexible disc of the above type that shall have a zone of relatively incompressible material adjacent the driving cles of the disc, as we have hereinafter the flexible coupling with which the disc is used. The disc furthermore embodies vehtion wil be apparent from a perusal of along the other edge. These sets of indenzones of mediate the drivin holes.

An additional o jectA of our invention is to provide improved means for anchoring the vcord elements of the fabric from whic the disc is made, at the driving holes and to thus insure uniform distribution of driving strees throughout the fabric of the sc. Other objects and advantages of our in-` the specification and drawings in which Figll is a plan view of a disc constructedV in accordance with our invention showing a ortion of the facing fabric lifted awa ig. 2 is an edge uview of a portion of t e disc lookin in a radial direction toward one of the riving holes; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view 4taken substantially on lines III--III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse. sectional view on line IV-IV of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 5 is a detailed lan view of one of the strips` of fabric and) the rubber cushion to so cut the material from a lar egreatly increased fiexibility inter-v elements that are used to build up the disc shown in Fig. 1. For convenience of illustration this figure is drawn to smaller scale than that used in Fi 1;

stri of fabric and the assembled cushion elements prior to its assembly into the disc Fig. 9 is a transversel sectional view onv line IX*IX of Fig. 8;

Fig.- 10 is a detailed view of a portion of a strip'of fabric that is used in the manufacture of the'disc shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. '11 is a detailed view of a fold at one corner of the disc that is made in the strip 3f fabric during the construction of the isc;

bric in the manusilient cushions that is interposed between` 'successive layers of fabric intermediate the adjacent driving holes o f the disc; and

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken substantially on line XIV-XIV of Fig. 8.

A. large sheet of calendered fabric 20, such forv instance as that shown in Fig. 7, is cut into a plurality of stri s 21 and unched in accordance with t e showing.

ach strip of fabric has a series of indentures 22 along one edge and' indentures 23 tures are identical and are of such form and dimension that'- each of the indentures 22 nests between the indentures 23 of the adjacent strip; and each of 'the indentures 23 nest between indentures- 22 vof the adjacent strip.v The perfect nesting vof these strips avoids all waste of the fabric except a small amount along the selvage edg of the roll.

Each of the strips 21 has a series of rubber cushions 24 mounted on each indentured projection intermediate the driving holes 6 is an edge elevational view of thel the `separate strips of fabric- Fig. 12' is audevelopment of a portion of 8 to illustrate the l 25. These cushions of uncured rubber composition are of substantially the thickness of one layer of fabric and contain I 'ust enough material to fill the interstices -be continuous. 'thereby transmitted directly from one segtween successive layers of fabric as later described.

A thread 26 of hard rubber compound is next laid on the fabric strip around one of each pair of driving holes in order that the layers of fabric will be cemented 'into a solid mass at each driving hole. Cement of hard rubber ma be used in lieu of the gum thread if desired. Y l

The disc isthen built up in a mold of conventional type by placing the segments or indentures 23 on suitably arranged mold pins (not shown) and by folding each of the segments or indentures 22 over the adjacent indentures 23 substantially as shownV in the completed disc of Fi 1. A fabric facing sheet 27, a portion o which is shown torn away in Fig. l, is applied to each side of the disc and the body disc which is then vulcanized under pressure into a composite mass.

This disc, it will be noted, is formed of one continuous strip of fabric folded into helical form with a suflicient number of turns to produce the required thickness of disc. The folds of fabric between adjacent disc segments cause the warp threads that lie inthe peripheral portion of the disc to The driving stresses are ment to the adjacent iexed zone through the continuous warp cords without too localized an anchoring of the ends of the cords. This is a common fault in discs formed of separate segment links.

It will also be noted that a very solid body is provided for anchoring the driving studs to thev disc without sacrificing the required fiexibility' of the intermediate portion of the disc. This is a very desirable element because flexible couplings as previously constructed failed in the compression zone cause of intense flexing rather thanin the tensioned zone of the disc.

lf the disc is intended for particularly se` vere service a pair of washers 35 are placed on each side of the disc after it is assembled in the mold. A sleeve 36 extends between the washers 35. In making a disc of this t pe the `mold preferably has suitable inentures formed therein to receive the washers V5 in order that uniform pressure may be applied to the entire surf-ece et the disc during the molding or vulcanizing operation. A thread of hard rubber gum is interposed between the washer and the disc to insure the vulcanization of the washer to the face of the disc.

After the vulcanized disc is removed from the mold, the material between the washers 35 is compressed to permit the ends of the tained by sleeve 36 to be fiared tomaintain the washers in position. A bushing thus inserted in the driving holes of the disc insures an absolutely uniform distribution of they driving stresses and also a secure union of the disc to the coupling.

Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive show a modification of our .invention wherein the driving disc is constructed from a straight strip of fabric: in lieu of the indentured strip employed in the previouslvvdescribed disc.

A large sheet of friction fabric is slit into a series of strips 30. Each of these strips is thenv passed through a machine which cuts driving holes 3l through the fabric'in the articular location and arrangement shown in Fig. 10. A thread 32 of hard rubber compound is laced around each outside driving hole o each series in such manner that when the disc is folded on itself at the driving holes, the thread of hard rubber compound will rigidly unite the folds of the fabric together in the vicinity of the driving hole and will provide an extremely effective anchor for the fabric elements.

Fig. 11 shows a fold that is first made in the strip 30 after it is punched. It will be noted, however, that certain surplus materials extend beyond the sides of the disc and therefore, in some instances, it is desirable to shape the fabric strip so that -it will form a fold similar in appearance to the fold shown in Fig. 8. The development o f a strip thus formed is shown in pattern for this form of strip may be obcutting the edge of the folded portion of the strip shown in Fig. 11 on lines 33-33 and 34e-34. By thus removing a portion of the folded strip, as at 34e-34, the zone occupied by the iexible cushion 24 corresponds in every particular to the similarly numbered cushions of the previously described disc, except as to their thickness,

which is twice as great in this instance as in the former instance. This difference in the thickness ofthe fiexible cushion enables a much thicker driving disc to be formed.

The sectional view shownin Fi 9 illustrates the position of the resilient. lling material that is used in this disc, and it also shows the method of folding the disc to obl tain.a straight line pull in the direction of the cord elements between bolt holes or in other words, to so arrange the fabric connecting links or segments between the successive bolt holes that they lie in a lane parallel to the surface of the disc.

are used in the disc shown in Figs. and 12,

Although we have shown only a few modifications of our invention, it will be apparent that many other modifications could Fig. 13 `illustrates one of the resilient cushions that be made without departing from the s irit and scope of our invention. We desire3 t ere fore, that only such limitations shall be imposed on our invention as are set Eortli in theta pended claims.

W at We claim is:

1. ,A iiexible disc formed of a plurality of helical turns of an indentured strip of l fabric indentured to provide lateral proand a sleeve extending between eac jectin portions, the projecting portions on one sie of the strip being folded to provide aeold at each of the driving holes of the disc, and means adapted to bind the disc into a composite body.

3. A flexible disc lformed of a strip of fabric indentured to provide lateral projerting portions, the projecting portions on one sideF of the strip being'identical with the. indentures of the other side and capable of nesting therewith.

4. A disc for liexible couplings compris ing a composite body of vulcanized fabric and rubber composition, a driving Washer vulcanized to the disc at each drivin hole, palr of Washers adapted to maintain the washers and intermediate fabric under high degree of compression.

5. The method of Vforming a flexible disc of vulcanized fabric and rubber composition which consists in vulcanizing a palr of washers to the disc at each driving hole, drawing the washers together and securing them in position by means of a sleeve extending t erebetween subsequent to the vulcanization of the disc. f

6. The method of forming a flexible disc embodying fabric and vrubber which consists in placing a pair of Washers at each bolt hole of the disc, vulcanizing the Washers to the disc under greater pressure than is imposed over the remainder of the disc, further compressing the material cf the disc between each pair of Washers, and maintain- Aing said material in said increased state of compression by means of a sleeie between the washers.

'l'. The method 'of forming a fiexible disc which consists in folding a zigrag strip of fabric containing a binder and having projecting portions alternately formed on opposite edges of the strip in such manner that the projecting portions of one edge overlap those of the ot er edge to provide a polygonal dlsc, and curing said disc.

8. The method of forming a iexible disc which consists in cutting a plurality yof nested zi zag strips from rubberized fabric, folding t e projecting portions of one edge of one of the strips over the strip to cause thepprojections of the folded edge portion to overlap the projections of the other ed e portion thereby providing a substantial y flat disc of polygonal form, and vulcanizing the disc.

In Witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names..

WILLIAM C. MCCOY. `ELMER G. KIMMICH.

extending 

